Tool handle



Feb. 15, 1949.

D. C. FlLlATREAULT, JR

TOOL HANDLE Filed Jan. 4, 1946 James Patented Feb. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOOL HANDLE Damas C..Filiatreault, J r., Chicago, Ill. Application January 4, 1946, Serial No. 639,003"

2: Claims. 1

This invention relates to tool handles and is in the nature of an improvement upon the tool handle shown and described in Letters Patent to Damas C. Filiatreault, No. 1,518,259 dated December 9, 1924.

Gne of the objects of" the present invention is to provide. improved wedgingv means for spreading the head end of the handle, whereby to more eflfectively: secure the handle in the head.

Another object is to provide a metal reinforcement rod threaded at one. end for engagement with the wedge and having a hexagonal or other many sided head upon its other end, by means of'whi'chthe rod may be, turned to wedgingly engage the wedge, with thehandle.

Another?- object is, to. provide a wedge having sharpened blades which: may be driven into. the

handle withoutany danger of splitting the same.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, this invention. consists in the several novel. features hereinafter fully. set forth and more particularly defined in the appended claims. The invention is clearly illustrated in the drawing accompanying this specification, in which: Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly broken out to illustrate parts contained in the interior of the head and handle;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental plan view;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the wedge;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental perspective View of the head end of the handle, and

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the wedge.

Referring to said drawing which is merely illustrative of one embodiment of the present invention, the reference character I designates a wooden shaft or handle having'one end portion of rectangular cross section adapted for connection with the tool head 8 which, as shown,

illustrates a hammer head of ordinary and well known construction.

As usual the head has a socket ID in which the handle is secured, said socket being rectangular in cross section and being formed with the oppositely directed tapered portions H, l2. The handle end l2 of the socket is made somewhat narrower than the outer end I I in order that the end of the handle may be spread considerably thereby wedging the end of the handle against the walls of the part II of the socket to effectively prevent its withdrawal from the head.

The handle is centrally bored throughout its length to form a hole I 3 and in said hole is a reinforcement rod M which fits tightly in the hole and extends from end to end of the handle. On the grip end of the handle, the rod I4 is formed with a hexagonal or other many sided head [5 to which a wrench or other-suitable tool may be applied inscrewing up the rod. The other end of the rod is formed with screw threads [6. Secured on and surrounding the ip end of the-handle 1 is a metal cap l8 against which bears the head l5. of the rod. Said cap isformed with an end wall I 9 which bears against. the end of the handle and with a band-like membertea which surrounds the: end portion of the handle. The cap. providesa substantial abut-- merit member for the headof' the rod to bear against and. also: protects thev end of the woodenv handle. The cap is formed with a recess: [8a to receive the head of the rod; whereby the, end: face of the head: may lie flush with the outer face of the cap- A wedge-member 23: is employed? in connection with the rod tov rigidly secure the toolhead upon: the handle.

Said wedge member comprises. an internally threaded tapered tubular portion 24 and tapered or Wedge-like ribs 25, 26 that extend at right angles to each other along said tubular portion. The ribs 25 are made longer than the tubular portion and taper to sharp edges. In, the head end of the handle is formed an outwardly flaring cavity 22, and two saw kerfs 20, 2| are formed in said end of the handle, said saw kerfs extending at right angles to each other as more clearly shown in Fig. 4.

The head end of the handle is driven into the socket until its outer end is substantially flush with the outer face of the head. The wedge is then driven into the end of the handle, the sharpened ribs 25 being driven into the wood of the handle and because of their sharpened edges they are not likely to split the wood as is the case with the use of ribs that are not sharpened to an edge head. The rod is inserted through the bore in the handle and screwed into the wedge block.

The head end of the rod may be notched as at 28 to leave two furcations that may be bent into a notch 21 in the wedge to positively prevent the rod from unscrewing from the wedge.

When the wedge is forced into the head, the tapered ribs spread the outer end of the handle and Wedge it tightly against the inner faces of the part H oi the socket. The slotted end of the handle is spread in several directions by the wedge and a more positive grip is thereby had upon the tapered walls of the socket of the tool head. In case the parts become loose from hard usage the bi-furcated end of the rod may be straightened, the rod screwed up to tighten the parts after which the furcations may be bent down as before to lock the parts together.

To provide a cushioned grip for the hammer, a sleeve 32 formed of rubber or other pliable composition may be secured upon the grip end of the handle.

The tool handle can be used in connection with hammer heads and various other tool heads as is well understood.

From the above it is apparent that I have provided a tool handle in which the wedge can be driven into the wooden handle without danger of splitting the same, which of course is of great importance as a split handle is weakened so much that it may be entirely unuseable.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A tool handle comprising a wooden handle having an end for engagement in the socket of a tool head, said end having a cavity therein and slots radiating from said cavity and extending at right angles to each other, a cap secured upon the grip end of the handle and having a recess therein, a rod threaded at one end and having a head upon the other end engaging the outer face of the recess in said cap, and a wedge having an internally threaded tapered tubular portion and wedge-like ribs extending at right angles to each other and radiating from said tubular portion, two of the ribs being of the same length as the tubular portion and the other two of the ribs having substantially parallel side edges and being of greater length than the tubular portion and each tapering to a sharp edge beyond the tubular portion whereby when the wedge is driven into the handle the longer sharp ribs bite into the handle and the ribs do not split the handle, said ribs being of a size to spread the end of the handle against the walls of the socket.

2. A tool handle comprising a wooden handle having an end rectangular in cross section for engagement in the rectangular outwardly flaring socket of a tool head, said handle having a lengthwise extending bore therein, and said end having a cavity therein and slots radiating from said cavity and extending at right angles to each other, a cap secured upon the grip end of the handle and having a recess therein, a rod threaded at one end and having a head upon the other end engaging the outer face of the recess in said cap, and a wedge having an internally threaded tapered tubular portion and wedgelike ribs extending at right angles to each other and radiating from said tubular portion, two of the ribs being of the same length as the tubular portion and the other two of the ribs having substantially parallel side edges and being Olf greater length than the tubular portion and each tapering to a sharp edge beyond one end of the tubular portion whereby when the wedge is driven into the handle the longer sharp ribs bite into the handle and the ribs do not split the handle, said ribs being of a size to spread the end of the handle against the walls of the socket.

DAMAS C. FILIATREAULT, J R.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 194,391 West Aug. 21, 1877 414,663 Thompson June 4, 1889 964,976 Kukuruda July 19, 1910 1,518,259 Filiatreault -1 Dec. 9, 1924 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 19,590 Great Britain Sept. 28, 1905 

